#The2018Reset Full-Body Workout

January 11, 2018

So excited to share the next instalment in my #The2018Reset series! January can kind of be a bit of a drag sometimes and that first rush of excitement that comes on the 1st when we set our intentions often dies down after a week or two – I’m hoping this series helps keep that momentum alive, especially with your wellness intentions for the year!

As you guys know, I travel a ton but fitness is so important for me that I try to keep the workouts still going while I’m away. While a lot of hotels and resorts have killer gyms, I also often stay at Airbnbs or villas that don’t have gear or machines so having something that I can do with super minimal equipment is so key! I’ve fine-tuned this little work out (about 30-45 minutes long depending on how many sets you do and how quickly you move through it) so that I can still get a sweat in at least 3 times a week when I’m away from home, though I also do this all the time when I’m at home and either looking to mix up and not use equipment, not wanting to leave the house (#winter) or visiting at my parents or the cabin! So without further ado, grab a mat (or blanket, sheet, towel, etc, whatever you can find if you’re travelling!), make sure you have two resistance bands on you (heavy and light, THE best things to roll up in your carry-on!) and let’s get going!

WARM UP

Hamstring Walkouts – 10 reps

Start standing and without straining your low back (i.e. feel free to have a generous bend in your knees) touch the ground with your hands and hinging at your hips, walk out into a plank. Pause a few seconds then walk back to your toes and stand up. Repeat!

Knee-to-Chest Hugs – 12 reps

Stand tall and pick up one knee at a time, hugging it into chest. Try to stand as tall and possible and not bend down to get your knee. Keep your core in to protect your back and keep a slight bend in your standing leg!

Hurdle Steps – 12 reps

Start standing with hands on hips – pick up left leg and imagining there’s a block to your left, swing it around with a bent knee to tap the ground below then bring it back to the front. I like to do 6 on one leg then switch to the other, slowly warming up the hip!

Now, on to the workout – you’ll be doing 2 sets of these but if you’re looking for a more intense workout, bump up to 3!

LEGS & BOOTY

Sumo Squat – 15 reps

Step out into a wide stance and point toes out at about 45 degrees. Keeping your chest up and spine straight, drop weight back into heels and squat down without creating a pinch in your hips (range will improve over time but you want to make sure you’re activating the right muscles, i.e. your glutes!). Squeeze glutes throughout and really squeeze on the way back up!

Lunge Tri-Set – 10 reps for each move (30 total per leg)

Start on your right leg and begin with a forward lunge. Make sure you keep your knee over your ankle (i.e. not creeping over your toes) and keep a generous 90 degree bend in your rear leg. On the same leg, lunge to the right side for your side lunge reps! Finally, wrap it all up with a backward lunge keeping in mind all the cues mentioned above for the forward lunge!

Kick it up a notch by not putting working leg on ground the whole time!

Bridge Tri-Set (50 pulses total)

Lying on back, scoot feet closer to your bum. Create robot arms with your arms (feel free to slightly tuck your shoulder blades under and together if you have that range) and drive elbows into the ground. Pushing from elbows and heels, roll up hips one vertebrae at a time. Begin doing micro pulses (30 total) up at your challenge zone with hips level. Keep hips up and lift your right foot up and keeping hips level, either hold for 15 seconds or do 10 pulses. Repeat on the left for 10 more pulses.

ARMS & CORE

Commandos – 20 reps

Start in plank position on your hands, core tight, spine aligned and ribs stitched in with a slight pelvic tilt. Drop down to your right forearm, then down to your left forearm (so that you’re now in dolphin pose), then reverse the motion, putting your right hand down, then your left hand and returning to plank position. Try as much as possible to keep your hips level – really hard to do (as you can see when I’m doing it here!) but even the intention to keep them level will challenge your core more!

Beginners, start with 10 reps if 20 feels too challenging. For those looking to kick it up a notch, try doing this continuously (i.e. not pausing at any point).

Tricep pulses (15 reps)

Using your lighter resistance band, loop them around your knees then kneel on the ground (option to either keep feet relaxed or curl toes under if it helps with balance). Grabbing the band, extend your triceps back with elbows bent until you feel a slight challenge. From this point, straighten out the forearms only backwards (will be more of a pulse than a full extension) then return to start point!

Push Ups – 15 reps

Either start in plank position on your toes with hands slightly wider than chest or…

Push up from your knees instead! Both are extremely challenging – sometimes I have shoulder issues so I find being on my knees gives me more control. Important things to remember is to keep a slight pelvic tilt, engage your glutes and your core and keep your neck as straight as possible (i.e. don’t look towards your toes).

Single Arm Row – 15 reps per arm

Loop your heavier resistance band around your right foot and stand in a split stance, hinging at hips and engaging your core. Keep shoulders down and keeping your arm close to your body, pull in and gently squeeze shoulder blades together! Repeat on other arm.

Bicep pulses – 15 reps per arm

Loop lighter resistance band around foot and keeping elbow glued to your side and engaging bicep, pull band up until you can’t pull up any more then bring down to halfway point, doing 15 more of these micro pulses then switching arms.

Dead Bug – 20 reps

Just a PSA to excuse my face in all these core shots – I was doing self-timer for all of these and so had no real control over my RBF (resting bitch face, of course!). Onto this core killer – lie on your back and engage core first. Glue low back to the ground and focus on stitching together your hip points (key for engaging your pelvic floor), belly button and ribs. Sometimes it helps for me to imagine zipping my core up from the pubic bone up to my floating ribs. Have knees in tabletop and arms pointing up then drop opposing legs and arms (i.e. the right leg and left arm), all while keeping core engaged. Return to start and repeat on other side.

Leg Drops – 15 reps

Focusing on same cues as dead bug, engage core and keep low back glued to floor. Slowly drop legs down until you feel like you’re at your limit before your back will pop up then slowly return to top of move. Repeat!

Hip Raises – 15 reps

Holding a sturdy, secure point near the ground (a couch leg, column, ledge, etc) engage core and using stability from hand hold, bring your tailbone a few inches off ground – slowly lower back to ground using control.

AND YOU’RE DONE!

And that’s it! Wrap up 2 sets and then I like to do a quick mobility and stretch afterwards, hydrate lots and call it a day! Especially because I have spinal alignment issues, keeping everything strong is so important and it’s never more important than when I’m travelling and putting my body through some alignment challenges as it is.

I’m sending a PDF version of this workout in a newsletter this evening so if you want to either print or save this to your phone, make sure you’re signed up to my newsletter by signing up here!

Happy sweating guys!

Disclaimer: I am not a health professional or certified trainer. If you have any health concerns or injuries, please see your physician before beginning these exercises.

Thanks for sharing this! I really need to maintain to the motivation keep working out. Going on three weeks, I’m going strong, but I know it won’t last. This will be a great workout to help shake up my routine!